Opened in 2005, Kisima School provides education to 160 students from low-income and marginalised backgrounds each year. Through the dedication of the staff and commitment of the students Kisima has become one of the top ten secondary schools in Kenya.

Kisima students come from Northern, Central and Western Kenya. Northern Kenya is an arid region with little to no public services and suffers from drought and conflict. Many of the people living here are pastoralists - herders who move their livestock from place to place in search of water and pasture. In Central and Western Kenya, many people depend on subsistence farming or poorly-paid manual labour. Wherever they come from, the Kisima students are all those whose educational options are limited by their family's low economic status and who yearn for the chance to transform their lives.

The partnership between Kisima and TEFT began when two Davids met on a London bus in 2001. They spoke about the extreme poverty facing children in Northern Kenya and a hunger to fix things. David Kariuki, who had the vision to set up Kisima School, is now the Director of the school. David Munns co-founded TEFT and kickstarted two decades of fundraising to fulfil the Kisima vision.

After the initial discussion in 2001, TEFT became a reality, raising funds that helped buy five acres of land. Bit by bit, the vision came together and in 2005 Kisima School opened its doors to educate children.

Since then TEFT and a number of donors in Sweden and Kenya have supported the school's annual running costs and other capital projects. TEFT hosts the Kisima School website.

Students at Kisima School are being empowered by being in control of their own future. Made up from different tribes and faiths, they learn to live happily together free from the conflict that blights many of their communities. Attending secondary school and then university brings new life to their families and communities. Our Kisima School alumni are evidence that this works.

Kisima School's first class took their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in 2008 and since then on average 94% have achieved university entrance grades.

In 2023 100% of students achieved university grades - the national average in Kenya was 22.3%. It's incredible.

Graduates

2023 Results

• Students with a C+ grade or higher are eligible for government support to attend university.
• 100% of students achieved a university entrance grade

Students from Kisima School have graduated and gone to pursue a diverse range of subjects at university, from accounting to engineering, often earning full scholarships in Kenya and abroad. Many graduates return to excel in fields like energy, IT, medicine, and teaching. They are so inspired by their own education that they proudly fund their siblings' schooling.

Read some inspiring examples of the transformational power of education which is at the heart of both TEFT's and Kisima School's vision.

Trustee: Bishop Jacob Alkan Lesuuda - Bishop of Maralal Diocese in Northern Kenya, originally a herdsboy from Samburu county, Northern Kenya, started primary school aged 13 years and became a teacher before entering the Anglican Church of Kenya.

Chair, The Educational Frontier Trust: Richard Walton.

Trustee: Daniel Amunga - Principal of Kisima School, a graduate of the University of Nairobi's School of Education and Science, BEd: Lingistics & Literature with a post-graduate qualification in Mass Communication.

Trustee: Mary Wairimu Okech - a Director of Trade and Enterprise Development for Nyandarua county government, previously worked in microfinance development and for the Anglican Church of Kenya.

Sponsorship Co-ordinator: Catherine Maina - Kisima School's day-to-day link with the UK, responsible for liaising with sponsors, volunteers and other supporters.

Trustee: David Kariuki - Founder and Director of Kisima School, a graduate of the University of Nairobi's School of Education and Science, BEd: Linguistics & Literature.